‘I thought I would die’: Masked raiders held gun to disabled woman’s head after bursting into Cambridge home

Masked raiders held a gun to a disabled woman’s head in a terrifying robbery after they burst into her Cambridge home.

Karen Warner feared she was going to die when a pistol gun was pointed at her in the King’s Hedges property, forcing her partner Tom Janes, 25, to hand over £1,100 cash and about £3,000 of jewellery.

The 39-year-old, who suffers from a rare and potentially deadly brain condition called cavernoma which has left her housebound, was left traumatised by the raiders.

The two men targeted her home in Larkin Close at about 8.30pm on Wednesday night.

Mr Janes, a Tesco warehouse worker, had just finished decorating the home the couple moved to three weeks ago in the run-up to Christmas and had the cash to buy a carpet and gifts the next day.

He was with Karen, a mother-of-one, and a friend, when the raid happened.

Karen told the News: “We were just sitting at the table having dinner when these two men burst through the back door. One of them grabbed my friend and held his head on the table with a hammer against it and made him put out his arms.

“The other one was waving the gun about and then put it to my head screaming for us to hand over our money and jewellery.

“I am really proud of Tom because he put his body in front of me and gave them the money and the jewellery and told them just to go. I really thought I was going to die.

“They looked as if they had done this sort of thing before. They knew exactly what they were doing. I think someone must have seen Tom wearing the jewellery and told them about it.”

Police have now launched a hunt for the gunmen.

Mr Janes said: “I am just relieved that Karen is all right. I could have tried to grab something and stop them but I was worried they would fire the gun and kill someone. They were wearing hoodies and bandannas so I couldn’t see their faces. It was all over in about a minute. It was terrifying. My girlfriend is totally distraught. She is housebound anyway and now she is terrified.

“They took £1,100 in cash that I had to buy a carpet and Christmas presents the next day and they took a gold necklace and bracelet which were worth about £1,500 each.

“They have totally ruined our Christmas. They must be stopped before they do the same to another family.”

Friends and family were comforting the couple at their home last night.

Karen’s condition means she suffers from tonic-clonic seizures, formerly known as grand mal attacks, which can leave her in hospital.

A Cambridgeshire police spokeswoman said: “Police are investigating after cash and jewellery were stolen in a burglary in Larkin Close, Cambridge.

“Officers were called at 8.20pm on Tuesday following reports of two men wearing balaclavas threatening a man before making off with the stolen items. Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”